The Sleeping Process: What HappensWhen We Sleep?

So many people love to sleep. Whether it's getting an early night's rest, having a soothing siesta or catching a snooze on the beach, sleep is an important aspect to every human being.

The process of sleep is something we humans do almost automatically. From the time we are tiny little babies to the time when we become older adults, the human body and mind require adequate sleep in order to function properly.

Sleep is important as it allows the brain time to organise events and memories. It also allows the body time to relax and rejuvenate and most importantly, allows the muscles and cells to repair themselves.

During sleep, apart from the obvious physical changes such as the eyes closing or muscles relaxing, one's heart rate slows down. Although it may seem as if the person is unconscious, if you were to attach an electroencephalograph to his head, you would be able to monitor the activity of his brainwaves.

As a person falls asleep, his or her brainwave patterns begin to slow down. During sleep, cycles of REM (Rapid Eye Movements) occur. This is generally when dreaming occurs and you will notice it on someone when their eyes flicker beneath their eyelids and muscles twitch. It has been said that people can have three to five intervals of REM per night.

Although a dream may sometimes seem as if it's lasting forever, an REM session lasts only between five to thirty minutes.

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